For their safety, the EU back to Algeria

To ensure its energy security and strengthen its political and economic position, the EU looks to Algeria, from 2016 to diversify its energy supply and reduce its heavy dependence on Russia according to a European Parliament report.

At the same security context, the European Commission will organize in Algeria, a Commercial Forum in early 2016 and to strengthen bilateral cooperation and consider the offers of European investment in the hydrocarbon sector.

Most EU countries are dependent on the Russian market, which leads to high costs for citizens, businesses and public budgets. This situation also hampers economic growth, prosperity and security of the Union, says the same report. Adding that Russia is their main oil exporter with 35%, gas 26%, coal at 30% and 25% uranium. Dependence on a single supplier has made the energy market in Europe very vulnerable especially in crisis situations, as the experience of 2006 and 2009 when Russia stopped supplying gas to Ukraine for some countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This has forced the EU to take new measures, among others to diversify its sources and strengthen partnership relations with the countries of North Africa, especially Algeria.

Furthermore, the European Parliament calls for the establishment of a Mediterranean gas node with reinforced LNG capacity and encourages the EU to exploit the potential of significant gas reserves in the countries of Africa North and considers that recent discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean region to provide an opportunity to present itself as the dynamic center of a gas pipeline network ensuring the transport of natural gas to Europe.

As a reminder of Algerian-European meetings falling within the strategic partnership framework for energy security, as established by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Algiers in July 2013, have been launched since last May 5 on the occasion the visit of the European Commissioner for Energy, Miguel Arias Canete.

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